Platen printing-press.



Cl WOLSTENHOLME.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1913.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

NE NORRIS PETERS co. PHOTO-LITHOY, WASHINGTON D. c.

C. WOLSTENHOLME.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1913.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 THE NORRIS PETERS Ca. PHOTG-LITHO.. WASHINGTON D. c.

G. WOLSTENHOLME.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

1,1 APPLIOATION FILED JULY 16, 1913. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 HE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHOU WASHINGTON, D.

G. WOLSTENHOLME.

PLATEN PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1913.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 HE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTCLITHO.. WASHINGIUN, D. c.

PATEN CHARLES "WOLSTENEIQLME, 0F BLACKPUOL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS T0 JQHNSCHGLES AND RICHARD JGSEPH BARTQN, BOTH QF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

PLATEN PRINTING-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Eatcnt.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915;

Application filed. July 16, 1913. Serial No. 779,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, CHARLES lVoLsTEN- i-icLMn, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland and a resident of Blackpool in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Tmprovements in Platen Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and connected with the lifting finger by means of which a printed sheet of paper is raised from the platen of a printing press.

A lifting finger constructed disposed and operated according to this invention differs essentially from lifting fingers previously known, such, for example, as are described in the specifications to my British Letters Patent Nos. 5606 and 293 l0 both of 1910. The finger previously employed has had the sheet. or card which was to be printed laid over or upon it, and has remained behind such sheet or card or between it and the. platen packing duringthe impression. This arrangement has many disadvantages. According to this invention the finger is so arranged or disposed and combined with such operating appliances that when it is raised to lift a sheet of paper during the opening stroke of the platen, it may remain in such position for a suflicient length of time to enable a fresh sheet or card to be laid between it and the platen. During the impression stroke at any desired or predetermined point, the finger is moved or withdrawn or retracted to such a position that no part of it is over or upon or underneath the sheet or card and is lowered down on to the platen or packing. The impression then takes place and on the opening stroke the finger moves inward along the packing or platen until its end (which is properly shaped for the purpose) comes under the sheet or card. The finger or its end is then raised to lift the sheet or card and the operations are repeated. The finger is preferably adjustably mounted in its holder or support so that it can be set for difierent sizes of sheets or cards.

The accompanying drawings illustrate mechanism by which the invention. may be carried into effect.

Figure 1 shows one form of such mechanism viewed from the impression face of the platen, with the paper lifting finger in its raised position. While the finger is in this position a sheet of paper may be placed between it and the platen. Fig. 2 illustrates the same parts in edge elevation. Fig. 3 is a side view of counting apparatus attached to one of the draw bars by which the platen. is drawn against the form. The same countin mechanism is shown in plan in Fig. l. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the swing block carrying the paper lifting finger, the first figure showing the finger raised from the platen, the latter showing it fiat thereon. Figs. 6 and 7 are views which correspond generally to Figs. 1 and 2 but with difierent details of mechanism. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of a further modification.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, at and 5 A is a platen which may be oscillated in any of the well known ways common to printing presses. Secured to its edge is a bracket 13 one limb of which carries pivoted upon it theparallel swing arms C C At their ends these arms transversely carry a block D hinged to them so that the bars have parallel motion. This block D has mounted upon it the swing block E by the pin E which block adjustably carries the paper lifting finger F clamped in place by a thumb screw f. One of the lower faces of the block E is so shaped and disposed as to operate in conjunction with a friction bowl 9 carried by a lever G secured to the bracket B and with a spring (Z, to tilt the block around its pin E and angularly lift or lower the finger F. The lever G is pivoted at G on the bracket B. At the end which does not carry the bowl g it has a hole engaged by the coned end of a nut G carried by a screw which passes through the hole. lVith the bowl 9 in its lowest or most depressed condition from the block E the hole in the end of the lever G is. not concentricv with the nut G and this nut being screwed down, engages by its coned end with the lower edge of the hole only, and depressing this end raises and adjusts the position of the bowl g. With the different parts in the position of Fig. 1 the finger F is in its raised position, the block E being tilted by contact with the bowl 9 as shown in Fig. 4:. The impression stroke has commenced and. a sheet of paper m for the next impression is placed on the platen under the finger F. At a convenient time before the impression takes place some part orrmember disposed on the drawbar H.

swing block Emoves to the right, and'from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 5. The block E is thus moved bodily away from the edge'of the platen, taking the vfinger F with it from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to that shown in broken lines. This movement allows the swing block E to tilt to the position of Fig. 5 by its removal from the bowl 9. This tilting of the block E under the influence of its springs d brings the end of the finger F fiat down on to the platen or packing y in the position shown in broken lines Fig. 1. The end of the finger F is now free of the area occupied by the sheet 00. Y The draw bar retains the parts so as to keep the finger .down on the platen or packing until after the impression is made. During the opening stroke of the platen the draw bar and the bowl J move freeof each other and the different parts of the finger operating apparatus are free to return under the pull ofthe springK to the full line positions of Fig. 1.

In thus returning, the block D and the swing block E are moved from the position of Fig. 5 to that of Fig. 4. During the first part of this movement the end of the finger moves upon and along the surface ofthe platen or packing until its end comes under the edge of the sheet of paper m. The-end of the finger is properly shaped and pressed down on to the platen to insure that it does pass under the edge of the sheet, and indeed it may form or have formed for it a slightly recessed path in the packing 12 When the end of the finger. F has enteredunder the edge of the sheet 00 further movement ofthe blocks D and E inward towardthe edge of the platen A results in the block E coming upon the bowl 9 and being tilted as shown in Fig. 4. The finger F is thus lifted from the platen as well as moved farther inward and lifts with it the sheet :21. The sheet m is then removed. The finger F remains lifted until the next impression stroke has been partly 'made' and the operations described are then repeated. If desired of course the occurrence of the positively controlled and the spring controlled operations of the parts may be reversed. That is, the blocks and E may be .moved positively in toward the platen by engagement of some part of the draw bar with the bowl J, and a spring may be employed'to move the blocks to the position of Fig. 5.

The arrangement of the extension of the arm C and the bowl Jof Figs. 1 andQare specially intended for use with the Arab type of machine;

In Figs. 6 and 7 the finger operating parts are essentially the same as in F igs.'l and 2. The arm 0 is however in this case extended and its extension and the bowl J are of the form shown. ramp plate H attached to the draw bar E. This modification is intended for use in the Fhoenix type of machine.

Ti lie movement of the swing arms toward or away from the platen may be otherwise effected than from 'the'draw bar or from any other suitable and positively operated part of themachine. As shown by the diagram Fig. 8 a lever M may be pivoted to the edge of the platen and be so weighted at its lower end N as always to maintain a vertical position. The upper end of the lever carries an antifriction-bowl O." Ate certain point during the impression stroke of the platen A the friction bowl 0 intercepts the path of an inclined extension or ramp J forming part of the arm' (1 By engagement of the bowl 0 and ramp J the block D is forced away from the edge of the platen. This engagement is maintained until theramp J leaves the bowl 0 during the opening stroke of the platen andtlius The bowl is operated by a permits the block D to return to the platen L under the pull of a suitable spring.-

P indicates an an ularl movable arm at-' tached to the bracket B. "WhenIin the po sition shown in full lines it is adapted to operatethe counting mechanism Q, throughthe medium of a bowl R attached to the operating lever S. The counting mechanism is carried on the draw bar H. When the arm P is moved to the position shown in broken which is then inoperative.

It is evident of course that the timing {of the sequence of operations may be varied as compared with the acts of the operator.

Thus the finger F may move to its position outside the area to be occupied by the sheet of paper before the sheet is put in place.

l Vhat I claim is 1. In a platen printing press, the combination of a platen, a lifting finger'for the printed sheet mounted'on said platen, means for lifting the finger during the opening stroke of the platen, means for with- 2. In a platen printingpress the combi-' nation of a platen, a lifting finger for the printed sheet, means for lifting the finger during the opening stroke of the platen, means'for laterally withdrawing the finger and bringing it clown on the platen clear of 105 lines itmisses the counting mechanism the sheet area during the impression stroke, and means for laterally moving the end of the finger along the platen to and upon the sheet area during the opening stroke oi the platen, substantially as set forth.

3. In a platen printing press the combination of a platen, a lifting finger for the printed sheet which lifting linger after lifting a printed sheet is withdrawn from opposite the sheet area until another impression stroke has been made when it is again returned to and upon the sheet area to again lift, and means for operating the said finger such means comprising parallel swing arms attached to the platen, means for reciprocating said parallel swing arms, a tilting finger carrying block mounted on the parallel swing arms, and means for tilting the said block as it is reciprocated by the parallel swing arms, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a platen printing press the combination of a platen, a lifting finger for the printed sheet which lifting finger after lifting a printed sheet is withdrawn from opposite the sheet area until another impression stroke has been made when it is again returned to and upon the sheet area to again lift, and means for operating the said finger, comprising a weighted lever hinged to the platen so as to remain vertical, parallel swing arms attached to the platen and reciprocated by said weighted lever, a tilting finger carrying block mounted on the swing parallel arms, and means for tilting the said block as it is reciprocated by the said weighted lever, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES WOLSTENHOLME.

As witnesses:

JOHN OCONNELL, FRANK A. HEYS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

